John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) was an artist, artisan, song collector, songwriter, and performer. While working in Eastern Kentucky, Niles compiled a collection of folk songs that were often performed by the people who lived in the backwoods and mountains. Niles, who had studied music in France and at the Cincinnati Conservatory, went on to make the folk songs of Eastern Kentucky more widely known to national and international audiences. In addition, to his work as a performer, John Jacob Niles also had the opportunity to work with famed photographer, Doris Ulmann, which again took him to the hills of Eastern Kentucky. A few years later in 1937, Niles met and married Rena Lipitz. Throughout his life Niles was considered one of the foremost authorities on folk music and was given an honorary doctorate of music by the Cincinnati Conservatory. In the late 1960s Niles worked with the Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton, on what came to be called the "Merton Song Cycle", which was performed only after Merton's untimely death in 1969. Known for his dramatized performances, Niles played to large and small audiences across the US and continued to perform late into his life.

The collection consists of 1596 photographs, centered on the life and work of John Jacob Niles and the members of his family. Many of the photos of were used for concert publicity shots. Niles was photographed by famous photographers as well and included are works by Van Deren Coke, Alfred Eisenstaedt, George Kossuth, and Doris Ulmann. In addition, the collection contains photos of early zeppelins and airplanes, and even includes some photos of the Wright brother's first flight. There is a collection of photos from an album produced by the Royal Flying Corps, depicting a fire in Salonika, Greece. The oversized collection of nearly 80 photos and portraits represent Niles at various stages of his life and in many different surroundings. Most were used for publicity campaigns.